Technical Assistance Update: Latest Issue
December 30, 2008
National Council Resources & Events
Medicaid
Medicare
Addictions
State Watch
Grants & Funding Opportunities
Other Resources
NATIONAL COUNCIL RESOURCES & EVENTS
Save the Date for Upcoming National Council Live Webinars on Jan 13 & 27
On January 13, the National Council Live will feature Dr. Stephen Soumerai, Professor of Ambulatory Care and Prevention at Harvard Medical School, who will be discussing his research on the effects of Medicaid cost containment and pharmacy utilization policies on the use of institutional services, treatment adherence, and total health care costs. His research will provide participants with valuable information that will shed light on the pitfalls that occur when shortsighted health policies are implemented.
On January 27, Betty Vreeland of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey will present on Team Solutions: a modular psycho-educational program that brings easy to use approaches to illness management.
Save the dates and visit the National Council’s website in the coming week to register!
Fall 2008 Issue of National Council Magazine Now Available; Focus on Children’s Mental Health and Addiction Services
The Fall 2008 issue of National Council Magazine, “Toward a Brighter Future: New Opportunities for Children and Youth” outlines the challenges in funding, policy, and practice; and highlights innovative and effective community services and supports that are increasingly available to children and youth with behavioral health challenges and to their families. We point to what still needs to be done — with all of us working together — to provide a better future for our young people. The magazine speaks to our progress and also to the possibilities that lie ahead.
Apply for the National Council’s Psychiatric Leadership Development Program, Applications Due January 15, 2009
We are pleased to solicit nominations for the 2009 class of the National Council’s Psychiatric Leadership Development Program. The Leadership Program began in 2008 in response to the challenges of recruiting a psychiatric workforce to behavioral healthcare organizations and providing adequate professional growth opportunities to retain them. Selected participants join a yearlong learning community of 8 to 10 emerging community psychiatric leaders currently working in or soon to join a National Council member organization. The Leadership Program's curriculum and mentorship is designed to engage participants as members of their organization's executive leadership team. Participants engage in didactic, experience-based, and distance learning opportunities; learn from nationally recognized leaders in the areas of policy, financing and service delivery; utilize case-based learning projects; and for one year receive ongoing mentoring and support from senior community psychiatrist leaders. The Leadership Program is a partnership of the National Council and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Division of Community Psychiatry as well as the School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Business of Medicine program. For consideration, nominees must be highly recommended by their organizational supervisor/CEO and a completed application submitted to the National Council by January 15, 2009. To access the application and more information about the program, click here.
Register for the 2009 National Council Conference Before Jan 9 for Maximum Savings
What does mental health and addictions' premier conference have in store for you from April 6 to 8, 2009 in San Antonio, Texas? Find out right now by downloading the Super Saver brochure. Get a sneak preview of our world-famous headliners, timely workshop topics, popular Preconference Institutes, unparalleled Exhibit Hall deals, and an action-packed agenda for your personal and professional development.
MEDICAID
New Data on SCHIP Allotments and Projected Shortfalls Now Available
New data are now available from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) on FY2008 SCHIP and FY2009 SCHIP projected financing and funding shortfalls. Data are available for all states and the nation and include states' own projected federal spending, federal SCHIP allotments, and projected shortfall amounts under current law.
KFF Report Highlights Connection Between Economic Downturn and Medicaid/SCHIP Enrollment
As the recession deepens, the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured has issued a new report examining the impact of the economic downturn on ordinary Americans and their health coverage. Many who once had steady employment and incomes are now turning to Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program for the first time, even as those programs face increasing budget constraints as state tax revenues decline. Recognizing this, many advocates, including the National Governors Association as well as other national advocacy groups, including the National Council, have expressed strong support for an increase to the federal Medicaid match (FMAP).
MEDICARE
GAO Report Compares Beneficiaries & Other Characteristics of Private Fee-for-Service Plans with Other Medicare Options
Medicare Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS), a certain type of Medicare Advantage plans, gives enrollees a wider choice of providers and less plan management. PFFS enrollment increased from about 35,000 beneficiaries in June 2004 to about 2.3 million in June 2008. This report compares PFFS plans to other MA plans and Medicare Fee-for-Service in three areas: (1) characteristics of beneficiaries, (2) financial risks for beneficiaries who do not contact their plans before receiving services, and (3) disenrollment rates. You can view highlights and the full report online.
ADDICTIONS
People with Co-Occurring Mental Health and Addiction Issues Visit ER More Often that Those with Addictions Alone
Research published in BMC Emergency Medicine finds that people with co-occurring addiction and mental health problems visit emergency rooms more often than those with addictions alone. In the study, researchers followed patients with alcohol and other drug disorders for 4-1/2 years. Patients were classified as having mental illness if doctors diagnosed them with a psychiatric disorder -- schizophrenia/psychoses, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and dementia -- during any emergency-room visit during the 54-month period. on average, patients with addictions and mental illness visited the emergency room more than twice as often as patients without mental illnesses.
Source: Join Together
STATE WATCH
GA: State Sees Increase in Number of Uninsured, In Line With National Trends
According to a study released by the Center for Health Services Research at Georgia State University, the percentage of residents younger than age 65 with private health coverage dropped from a two-year average of 75% in 2000 and 2001 to 67% in 2006 and 2007, finding increased enrollment numbers in the state’s SCHIP program, PeachCare, during the same period. This is in line with national trends. The study also found that rural-area residents, who more often have lower incomes and work for small firms, are more likely to be uninsured than residents who live in urban or suburban areas. In addition, hospitals and physicians statewide in the last few months have reported an increase in the number of uninsured patients seeking care.
Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report
FL: Newly Unemployed Residents Won’t Have to Wait 6 Months to Enroll in Cover Florida Program
Although it is a requirement of other potential enrollees, newly unemployed Florida residents will not have to wait six months to enroll in the Cover Florida Program. The requirement that residents be uninsured for six months to qualify for the program was intended to prevent employers and individuals from dropping their health coverage to join the state-sponsored program. The exemption from the six-months-of-uninsurance requirement applies to those who have recently lost their jobs; those who have lost, either through death or divorce, a spouse through whom they had employer-sponsored coverage; and those who have exhausted the coverage they held through COBRA. Residents can begin enrolling in the program January 5, 2009.
Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report
CA: State Medicaid Beneficiaries Who Experience Gaps in Coverage More Likely to be Hospitalized than Those with Continuous Coverage
A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine finds that California Medicaid beneficiaries who faced gaps in coverage were more than three times as likely as those with continuous coverage to be hospitalized for chronic illnesses. researchers examined use of health services by Medicaid beneficiaries from 1998 to 2002. The study found that about 62% of Medicaid beneficiaries had a gap in coverage during the study period, and those beneficiaries were 3.6 times more likely to be hospitalized for chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure.
Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report
RI: State Creates Addiction Hotline; Promises to Set Callers Up with an Assessment Center within 24 Hours
Rhode Island recently launched Rapid Response Rhode Island, which now gives residents access to a new three-digit hotline that promises to place callers in addiction assessment programs within 24 hours. The program was launched on a 3-month trial basis and seeks to remove barriers to treatment for individuals who are ready to get help for alcohol and other drug problems. Children, adolescents and adults can call the United Way's information line at 2-1-1 and the operators – trained by Phoenix House staff – will make an appointment for the caller at one of eight assessment centers throughout Rhode Island. Rapid Response is the first hotline to make these services available to children and to offer the services statewide.
Source: Join Together
UT: Drug Treatment Program for Offenders Facing Immediate Cuts, End of Program in FY 2010
Facing a budget shortfall, Utah’s Drug Offender Reform Act (DORA) is facing a 50% budget cut this month and total elimination by FY 2010. DORA provides substance abuse screening, assessment, and treatment services to felony offenders. Many of the counties offering DORA have stopped accepting new offenders out of fear that money will run out before they can complete the program. The new focus is on ensuring that currently-enrolled offenders have the opportunity to access all services under DORA. Although the exact amount of cuts in 2009 has yet to be identified, the current state budget situation and proposals from the state legislature and the Governor’s office indicate that the program will see major cuts.
Source: Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly
TX: Kids Living in Areas Affected by Hurricane Ike Receiving Automatic Extensions on Medicaid Coverage
The state of Texas is automatically extending health coverage for three months to about 34,000 children in the Houston and Beaumont areas after learning that many of their applications had been lost in the wake of Hurricane Ike. The children were in danger of falling off the Medicaid rolls on Dec. 31 because they missed deadlines to re-enroll in the program, which provides coverage for six months. New application packets will be sent to the families so they can complete the renewal process by April.
Source: Governing
NCSL Releases State Budget Update Report
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) recently released “State Budget Update: November 2008”. This report provides information on all 50 states and Puerto Rico and is based on data collected from legislative fiscal directors in November 2008. It includes information on budget gaps in FY 2009, actions states are taking or considering to close the gaps, revenue performance (through October 2008 for most states), the outlook for revenue performance for the rest of FY 2009, and projections of FY 2010 budget gaps.
GRANTS & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Non-Profits in Indiana, Tennessee, & New Orleans Can Apply for Funds to Help At-Risk Youth
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning's PeyBack Foundation will make awards in 2009 to groups that provide leadership and growth opportunities to at-risk youth. Nonprofits in Indiana, Tennessee, and New Orleans may apply for grants; awards will go to programs that serve youths between the ages of 6 and 18. Project-specific proposals are preferred over requests for general operating support. Grants typically range from between $1,500 to $10,000. The application deadline is February 2, 2009.
Community Volunteers Can Apply for Awards to be given to Non-Profit of Their Choice
Community volunteers aged 19-25 may apply for grants or scholarships from the Do Something Awards. Five winners will be chosen in 2009; a grand-prize winner will receive $100,000 in community grants for the nonprofit of their choice, while the others will get awards worth at least $10,000. Winners 18 and under may receive a scholarship and grants; older volunteers will just get grants. The application deadline is March 1, 2009.
CDC Offering Funds to Evaluate Effectiveness of Community Interventions/Policies at Reducing Youth Violence
The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will award a pair of $500,000 grants to assess the efficacy of community policy, economic and environmental changes aimed at reducing youth violence. "The purpose of this program of research is to assess the efficacy or effectiveness of interventions and policies designed to change the economic or environmental characteristics of a community to reduce rates of youth violence perpetration and victimization," according to the CDC. "Youth violence has been linked to a variety of factors, including individual, family, community, and societal characteristics. Although much research has been conducted on interventions to change the characteristics of individuals and families, less research has focused on evaluating interventions and policies designed to change community economic or environmental factors." Nonprofits and public agencies are eligible to apply. Letters of intent are due Jan. 26, 2009; applications are due Feb. 23.
Free Professional Consulting for Non-Profits in Select States
Non-profit organizations in Washington D.C., Massachusetts, Washington, Illinois, California, Maryland, New York, and Virginia may apply for a variety of pro-bono professional consulting services from the Taproot Foundation. Areas of technical assistance provided include: information technology, leadership development and strategic human resources, marketing and fundraising, and strategy management. Nonprofits with a mission that focuses on health, the environment, education and social services, at least three full-time employees, and an annual budget of $350,000 or more may apply. The application deadline is March 1.
2009 Chicago Community Trust Competitive Grants to Improve Community Vitality and Quality of Life
Health, community development, basic human needs, education and arts and culture are the program areas of the Chicago Community Trust, which is now accepting letters of intent for its 2009 competitive grants. Nonprofits serving residents of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry or Will counties may apply for funding, which is intended to improve community vitality and quality of life. The application deadline is March 17.
OTHER RESOURCES
New Publication on Mental Health Consumer Providers
Consumer providers (CPs) are individuals with serious mental illness who are trained to use their experiences to provide recovery-oriented services and support to others. This guide is intended to be an easy-to-use reference for agencies that are seeking to strengthen or expand consumer involvement, employers who are considering hiring CPs, consumers who are interested in applying for CP positions, and advocates for CP involvement in mental health care. The information and recommendations presented are the result of interviews with relevant stakeholders at Lamp Community, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit serving the mental health needs of the homeless and formerly homeless; interviews with national experts; and a review of current literature on the subject.
Institutes of Medicine Releases 20 Indicators to Evaluate Health of Health Care System; Includes Mental Health and SUD Indicators
"State of the U.S.A. Health Indicators," from the Institutes of Medicine recommends 20 specific indicators of health as benchmarks against which to measure the overall health of people nationwide and the state of the nation's health care systems. The indicators will be included as part of the health section of the new Web site being created by State of the USA that will provide consumers with comprehensive health care information and encourage them to be active participants in national discussions about topics such as health care. Mental health/Substance Use Disorder indicators include: 1) serious psychological distress, 2) smoking, 3) excessive drinking.
